Israel’s Security Cabinet Advances Controversial West Bank Policies: A Closer Look at the Implications

In a move that further complicates an already fragile Middle East landscape, Israel’s security cabinet has approved a series of measures designed to strengthen Israeli control over the occupied West Bank. These policies, announced by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, aim to ease settler land acquisitions and diminish Palestinian Authority powers—actions that threaten to inflame tensions and undermine prospects for peace. Are These Measures Undermining Peace Efforts and Regional Stability? The newly approved steps include abolishing prohibitions on sales of West Bank land to Israeli Jews, granting Israeli authorities greater control over planning in sensitive areas like Hebron, and reviving...